The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-14
A MASTER OF ASSEMBLIES.
Sermons on the Life, Character and In
fuence Of Henry Ward Beecher.
The Greatness of His Moral Heroism Eloquent
ly Described by Dr. Jeffery-Tributes to
His Memory from Other Preachers.


At the First Baptist Church. last night, DR..
Jeffery's subject was lessons from the Life of
Henry Ward Beecher," his text being from the
sixth verse of the 10TH Psalm: 1.-THE righteous
shall be in everlasting remembrance" DR..
Jeffery said: Mr.. Beecher was the master of
assem- lies and he became such because all his
other great qualities were subordinated ana con-
tributory to the one masterful power to sway
the hearts and move the sensibiities of the
public mind. The great questions which have
agtated the public mind of this country during
the last fifty years have been moral questions.
They have been political simply because they
have involved issues which the politics
Of the country have been unable to
dispose of except by methods of leeisla-
ton. Though the theory of our government
is based on the recognition of the rights of the
people to legislate for themselves they necessa-
rily in its earliest stages carried over into its in
stitution moral problems which were founded in
usages and customs which had become their her
itaee from governments which had subordnated
human rights, which were founded on theories
that contravened the doctrines of equality, lib
erty and brotherhood. These were questions
which have had to be discussed and settled be-
fore the American people could enter into that
career that would secure to themselves and to
their posterity the realization of that prosperity
which was promised by the fathers of our
try as the elements of the true success of
nation. They themes suited for
the genius of such man as Mr. Beecher. They
brought out the magnifcence of his powers, and
the part that he has acted has served the two
fold purpose of giving to his own name a uni
versal and undying fame and the country itself
a deliverance from gigantic wrongs which would
have been fatal to it's legitimate development
and prosperity"
DR.. Jeffrey noted Mr.. Beecher's visit to Eng
land during the war, and the great change he
wrought in British sentiment his attitude on
the temperance question, and his denunciation
OF political corruption. He spoke of his great
sympathy with suffering; his charity toward
his enemies; his accomplishing endurance Of
misrepresentation and abuse; his silence under
scandal, and his ability to rise superior to the
vtuperation OF those who sought to disparage
his influence
Concluding, he said ''Mr Beecher has lived
a noble life. and his memory is benediction.
He has made the world richer in the lessons he
has left us, and human nature is doing honor to
itself in the noble tribute which the people Of all
classes and chimes paying to his memory.
He was man of infinite resources, of wide OBJ
servation and of practical wisdom. He illum-
iued every topic, whether great trite, with the
magic of his elocuence and the transcendent
charms OF his rhetoric. His name will live as
the synonym of every noble thought, OF every
tender sensi5ility, of every generous enthusi-
asm. of every kindling aspiration. Mr.. Beecher
has been criticised because of the freedom with
which he has taken issue with the orthodox
thought of the religious world. am not called
upon to defend all of his religious opinions but
they suggest to US the Importance of distinguish
ing between the PHILOSOPHERS of a creed and the
practice of a life. 1t has been the characteristic
of every age to decry new modes of thought as
departures from the truth, and vet IL requires
but very superficial view of history to learn
that opinions which have been prosecuted rs
hnw r. 49, ~
regnant and vitalizng truths of succeeding ages;
and the men whose names now live and cannot
die were the martyrs of preceding centuries.
while the names Of their prosecutors and de-
| tractors have either sunk into absolute forget
| fulness or have been remembered only to DO
| pitied or despised.
| Mr.. Beecher's theories and speculatious may
| or may not be correct. Undoubtedly they will
undergo modification. even if they survive. but
there are two facts to be observed in his relig-
| ous attitude The first is that he has main
| tanned test of orthodoxy which is destined to
| become the undeniable standard Of truth as the
| ages roll on. His religious teaching has ever
| been vital with the power and presence of his
practical love for his and the illustration of
| that love. Of that charity, of that patience of
| that magnanimty. through evil and through
good report Whether slandered or beprased,
whether denounced or approved, whether hated
| or loved he has maintained this equlpoise Of an
| undisturbed eauanimity and inspired his mag
| nifcent endowments with the ardor of self
| sacrificing conservation, of benediction and of
blessing, to every child of man. And I simply
| say that such creed is itself the perfection of
| an orthodox faith. In the second place. amid
| all the phases of his religious thinking, he has
| been animated by the passion of his love to God,
his love to man, and the receptiveness OF his own
faith in the spirit and love of the living Christ
| Mr. Beecher has furnished a grand example of
| moral herosm in the presence of denunciation
and scandal He has not proven an exception
| to the universal law that the high road to
eminence is in the pathway of suffering. 1t
| seems sad that the closing years of his life
| should have been clouded, not by the breath.
| but by the tempest of scandal. 1t is tribute
| to the marvellous power of his influence that he
| found friends who stood so molly by him through
| the ordeal, and the proof of the majesty of his
| nature that he has been able to stand up sc
grandly and breast the fury of the storm
| Never for moment has he been swerved from
the grand purpose of his life. 1t has continued
on, ministry of blessing alike to enemy anC
friend. No impatient bitter word, no com
planning plea has escaped his lips. He has con
tinued on, until death brought him to pause
true to the one masterful purpose of his life Il
make his presence among men a blessing to hi
age and benediction to the future generation
| of mankind"
| First Presbyterian Church.
Rev. Nj. L. Haines. at the First Presbvteria
Church last night, took as his theme America
Great Preacher, Lessons from His Life and Sc,
mons" his text being Ephesians iv, 11-13, re
vised edition. Mr. Hanes quoted from Nj
!, Spurgeon: 'Mr. Beecher's mind seems ine1
haustible. I think him the most myriad minde
man since Shakespeare" and continuing, he sait
''No man in our generation has come upon tn